Stress and adaptation

1. STRESS
&
ADAPTATION

2.  Stress: is a condition in which the human
system responds to changes in its normal
balanced state.
 Stressor: is any thing that is perceived as
challenging, threatening or demanding.
 Adaptation: is the change that takes place
as a result of the response to a stressor.
 Homeostasis: various physiologic
mechanisms within the body respond to
internal changes to maintain a relative
constancy in the internal environment.

3. Sources of stressors
 Internal e.g. illness, abnormal change, or
fear
 External e.g. noise, cold environment,
death, move

4. Physiologic Homeostasis
 Local Adaptation System (LAS) — involves
only one specific body part
– Reflex pain response
– Inflammatory response
 General Adaptation Syndrome —
biochemical model of stress (Hans Selye)
– Alarm reaction
– Resistance
– Exhaustion

5. Alarm Reaction
 Person perceives stressor, defense
mechanisms activated
 Fight-or-flight response
 Hormone levels rise, body prepares to react
 Shock and counter-shock phases (1 min -
24 hrs)

6. Resistance
 Body attempts to adapt to stressor.
 Vital signs, hormone levels, and energy
production return to normal.
 Body regains homeostasis or adaptive
mechanisms fail.

7. Exhaustion
 Results when adaptive mechanisms are
exhausted
 Body either rests and mobilizes it’s defenses
to return to normal or dies

8. Physiological responses to stress
 Increases heart rate
 Increases respiration
 Increased blood pressure
 Dilated pupils
 Muscle tension
 Headache

9. Emotional Responses to Stress
 Depression
 Anger
 Anxiety (most common)
– Mild
– Moderate
– Severe
– Panic

10. Coping Mechanisms
 Crying, laughing, sleeping, cursing
 Physical activity, exercise
 Smoking, drinking
 Lack of eye contact, withdrawal
 Limiting relationships to those with similar
values and interests

11. Factors Affecting Stress and
Adaptation
 Sources of stress
 Types of stressors experienced
 Personal factors

12. Categories of Stress
 Developmental stress
– Occurs when person progresses through stages
of growth and development
– E.g.
 Situational stress
– Does not occur in predictable patterns
– E.g.

13. Types of Stressors
 Physiological
– Chemical agents, physical agents, infectious
agents, nutritional imbalances, hypoxia, genetic
or immune disorders
 Psychosocial
– Includes real and perceived threats

14. Stress Management Techniques
 Relaxation
 Meditation
 Anticipatory guidance
 Guided imagery
 Biofeedback
 Crisis intervention

15. Crisis Intervention
 Crisis: is a disturbance caused by a
precipitating event such as a perceived loss,
a threat of loss, or a challenge, that is
perceived as a threat to self.
 Crisis Intervention
– Identify the problem
– List alternatives
– Choose from alternatives
– Implement the plan
– Evaluate the outcome